First to spend ^29 million BBC News

[whole diary]

[Timmer]

It seems that the press can always turn good news into bad! Wales gets enough English taxpayers money to spend on railways, and lets not forget it's the CARDIFF to Portsmouth line! Cardiff is, strangely enough, in WALES!!!

Absolutely Vacman. I have seen plenty of rammed 2 car 158s operating between Bristol and Cardiff that from May passengers travelling to and from Wales from Bristol/Bath and further afield will now have a lot better chance of getting a seat. So this decision will be of benefit to passengers to and from Wales which I know has overcrowding problems of it's own and hopefully some good diagramming of the 4 150's that are staying will help ease the pain.

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) passengers and crew know what it feels like to see stock being sent elsewhere as in December 06 a fleet of Wessex 150s headed under the Severn tunnel never to return. This then happened again in December 07 when a fleet of 158s headed up north. However in the case of these five 150s its is only a short term measure and once the cascade of 150/1s from London Midland begin they will be handed back.

[Lee]

Meanwhile, Brian Cooke, chairman of London TravelWatch and a board member of Passenger Focus, said that the Government appeared to be protecting FGW^▸ (First Great Western) because it did not want to jeopardise the ^1.1 billion that the company had agreed to pay over its ten-year franchise (link below.)
http://www.rmtbristol.org.uk/2008/02/rail_privatisation_out_of_stea.html#more

He said:

^It is amazing that the Government knew about this several months ago but waited until yesterday to inform passengers and the publicly funded passenger watchdogs.

^It shows a worrying level of complicity and raises the question about whether the Government are the right people to be auditing train companies^ performance and statistics.^

The I Hate First Great Western blog comments on this (link below.)
http://ihatefirstgreatwestern.blogspot.com/2008/02/dft-and-fgw-dont-tell-truth-shocker.html

Economy Klaus has also posted his view (link below.)
http://firstlatewestern.blogspot.com/2008/02/andrew-haines-and-13-pence-solution.html

Christian Wolmar article link.
http://www.christianwolmar.co.uk/articles/rail/587.shtml

[Lee]

More article links.
http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144125&command=displayContent&sourceNode=232450&contentPK=20004781&folderPk=108202&pNodeId=251466

http://thisisbath.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=163490&command=displayContent&sourceNode=163316&contentPK=20004684&folderPk=89126&pNodeId=163047

[Conner]

I was on the train the article on the ThisisCornwall website, was turning away at Redruth, was a blue 153 but would have empetied at Truro as it was mainly teenagers who always go to Truro.

[Jez]

It seems that the press can always turn good news into bad! Wales gets enough English taxpayers money to spend on railways, and lets not forget it's the CARDIFF to Portsmouth line! Cardiff is, strangely enough, in WALES!!!

It is but the 3 hour journey from Cardiff-Portsmouth is in Wales for what? Half an hour before it goes through the tunnel into England. I do agree though that more carriages are needed on the Cardiff-Portsmouth service.

[John R]

To all press reading this:

I totally agree - it's outrageous that ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company))) are subleasing FGW^▸ (First Great Western) sets which are spare each day anyway!!!! 

They were only "spare" awaiting the conclusion of the platform extension program and completion of the Merthyr Line enhancement. Would have all been in use by May.

[DanielP]

In order to run a properly resourced commuter system, it will always be necessary to have stock left over in the day. That's how maintenance cycles work!

Daniel

[vacman]

It seems that the press can always turn good news into bad! Wales gets enough English taxpayers money to spend on railways, and lets not forget it's the CARDIFF to Portsmouth line! Cardiff is, strangely enough, in WALES!!!

It is but the 3 hour journey from Cardiff-Portsmouth is in Wales for what? Half an hour before it goes through the tunnel into England. I do agree though that more carriages are needed on the Cardiff-Portsmouth service.

It doesn't matter how much of the journey is in Wales, the point is that it brings people from all of the other areas INTO Wales!!!! a Padd to Newquay service only stops twice in Cornwall (on Saturdays) but it brings in 400+ people from "England" to spend their hard earned cash in the clubs and pubs of Newquay, which, strangely enough, is GOOD FOR THE LOCAL ECONOMY!!!!!! and after their week of Sun (well, rain), sea and sex the loaded HST^▸ (High Speed Train) takes them all back to London!!

[Timmer]

the loaded HST^▸ (High Speed Train) takes them all back to London!!

Bet thats the bit the Cornish people like best, leave you in peace to count the cash.

[Conner]

the loaded HST^▸ (High Speed Train) takes them all back to London!!

Bet thats the bit the Cornish people like best, leave you in peace to count the cash.

Best day of the tourist season is when they all bugger off again and leave their cash behind in our economy.

[vacman]

Oh yes, and all the barely dressed single females that appear! 

[Conner]

Oh yes, and all the barely dressed single females that appear! 

We have enough of those here already 

[vacman]

Oh yes, and all the barely dressed single females that appear! 

We have enough of those here already 

Yeah but most of them down ere talk to themselves and have relations with their brothersand fathers! 

[Conner]

Oh yes, and all the barely dressed single females that appear! 

We have enough of those here already 

Yeah but most of them down ere talk to themselves and have relations with their brothersand fathers! 

That's true.